Italy’s central bank sees sharp rise in rents amid student housing protests

By Federico Maccioni and Alvise Armellini MILAN/ROME (Reuters) – Italy is experiencing a surge in rent prices, the country’s central bank said on Tuesday, against the backdrop of growing student protests over the rising cost of living in big cities. A combination of low salaries, a shortage of housing, the spread of short-term holiday rentals…

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Climate activists storm Shell shareholder meeting

By Shadia Nasralla and Ron Bousso LONDON (Reuters) – Shell shareholders overwhelmingly supported the energy giant’s strategy at a raucous annual general meeting disrupted by climate activists who tried to storm the stage. Tuesday’s meeting highlighted the growing tension Shell and its peers face as they try to navigate growing investor pressure to accelerate their…

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Greek opposition parties unable to form alliance, new election seen

By Renee Maltezou and Angeliki Koutantou ATHENS (Reuters) – Greece’s two main opposition parties on Tuesday turned down mandates offered to them to form a coalition government, setting the stage for a second election in June after an inconclusive vote on May 21. Leftist Syriza leader Alexis Tsipras and Socialist PASOK head Nikos Androulakis handed…

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Explainer-Debt ceiling standoff: What happens if Washington falls behind on its bills?

By Jason Lange WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. government could fall behind on its bills next month – and even default on its debt – if Congress doesn’t raise a $31.4 trillion cap on government borrowing, a failure that could trigger economic calamity and panic on global financial markets. What follows is a timeline showing how…

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US Treasury asks federal agencies for payments clarity as debt ceiling default looms

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The U.S. Treasury said on Tuesday it is asking other federal agencies for greater clarity and communication on the payments they expect to make and receive in the coming days to more accurately forecast when the government will run short of cash without an increase in the federal debt ceiling. A Treasury…

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Standard Chartered CEO: Credit Suisse sale to UBS was ‘surprising’

By Andrew Mills DOHA (Reuters) -Standard Chartered CEO Bill Winters on Tuesday said the sale of Credit Suisse to UBS was “surprising” given the “unusual” terms of the deal, which prioritised shareholders over bondholders. “The conclusion was very surprising to me, in terms of the way that the bank was resolved through this very unusual…

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